1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to roller skate wheels, and particularly to wheels of the type utilizing a pneumatic tire.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are two basic types of wheels for roller skates, including the solid wheel and the pneumatic wheel. FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings disclose conventional roller skates of the in-line type and double-line type, respectively, which are provided with solid wheels formed of rubber, plastic or other appropriate material. Because of the solid wheel construction, these skates often cause discomfort to skaters, particularly when they are performing maneuvers, such as jumping or other high impact movements, which transmit vibrations from the ground directly to their feet. Such skating requires a high level of skill in order to avoid injuries to the feet from shock, which often causes sprains. However, to most skaters, such discomfort and injuries are almost unavoidable.
In order to mitigate the drawbacks of solid wheels, it is known to provide roller skates with wheels formed from pneumatic tires. Wheels of this type serve as cushions with a shock-absorbing function, an example of which is disclosed by the Taiwan Patent Application Publication No. 81215017. Pneumatic wheels provide greater comfort to the skater and the pressure of the tire may be adjusted to vary skating acceleration. Since a pneumatic wheel is lighter than a comparable solid wheel, the overall weight of the skate is reduced, particularly if the skate requires four or more wheels.
The tire of a pneumatic skate wheel is installed on a wheel rim in a manner similar to the tires of conventional vehicles, such as automobiles or motorcycles. Such vehicle tires are constructed to resist deformation under pressure and thereby assure safety while the vehicle is moving straight or around a turn. However, because roller skates are subjected to a greater variety of movements, such as jumping, accelerating and landing on the ground at various angles, there exists the possibility that the tire may fall off the wheel rim and thereby cause injury to the skater. Moreover, a skater can travel at a speed of around 30-40 miles per hour, a speed which is quite high and imparts a rolling speed to the wheels that is at least five times that of automobile or motorcycle wheels. When skate wheels roll at this high speed, the centrifugal force generated may result in deforming the pneumatic tire of the skate wheel and pose potential danger to the skater.